Hide and seek
by Aggressive-Expansion
Summary: Things start off as an innocent game of Hide-and-seek but what if one soon-to-be psychopathic clown takes things to a whole new level? More A/U. Will contain gore, so keep away little kiddies. Pre-Joker.
1. Chapter 1

It all started in a field.

The moon hung low over the esoteric sky, faintly brightening the lush grass beneath. Twilight settled comfortably over the city and stars glistened accordingly. There were no clouds that I could remember, the sky was clear which was strange for such a polluted and dirty city. The trees stood tall and black. I say black because that's how they appeared to me. I didn't mention I had night blindness did I? _Yeah_, well I do.

I had arrived with a group of five. Not including myself of course. It seemed that power did not come with number, as I would later prove to you. Or rather _he _would. We set our bags in a pile, and gathered in a circle glaring at each other determinedly. No one wanted to be 'it'. No one wanted to be on their own, and no one wanted to be caught wondering off in the wrong place. Call us paranoid but we couldn't help but yelp at the slightest rustle or sound emitted from the dark trees.

Murderers, cannibals, rapists. They all ran through our heads but I assured everyone that it was perfectly safe. In fact, more safe than the streets of Gotham which were littered with thugs and thieves. Gotham was notoriously known for its ridiculously high crime rates. In fact, there was more chance of being brutally murdered in broad day light than there was in such a desolate wood land area like the one we currently occupied.

So there we were, a group of eighteen year old's getting ready to play rock-paper-scissors to decide who would be 'it' in Gotham Central Park.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

Our voices synchronized together creating an innocent another melody that swept over the field protruding an echo from the depths of the trees that surrounded us. That bothered me a tad bit. I didn't like how eerie it was here, eerie enough to receive an echo which only intensified the realism of how very alone we all were.

I smirked, noticing intently that I was the odd one out. I was _always_ the odd one out - at social gatherings, home, my likes and dislikes, _everything_. The fact of the matter was I had called paper, and they all called rock, it was so.. so.. so _p__redictable._

Did you know that rock is the most popular choice for players to pick? That's because a rock is strong, powerful and sometimes _immovable_. People are disillusioned by this perception, it's a psychological thing really.

I turned away leaving them to battle it out amongst one another. Scanning my surroundings idly, I tactfully attempted to choose where to hide. Hide-and-seek. A child's game, but fun enough for a bunch of young adults. I could climb a tree. Hide behind one or even wedge myself between two thorn bushes. No one would go looking in there for the fear of being pricked. However, what I chose to do was out of character, even for me. I liked to over complicate things, complexity led to the best results, or so I thought. It appeared sometimes the simplest things could serve as a better alternative.

I did not bother to turn to see who would be seeking. I could hear her sounds of protest and disapproval already been voiced. I gripped the torch in my hand and offered it to her, it was a rather lax decision but it would serve as a tool for comfort that none of the other players had. One torch, and the one who received it would be the seeker. We owed her that much. She took it off of me greatfully and I flashed her a small smile of reassurance. Her brown her blew gently in the breeze and she scoffed trying to appear unaffected by fates results.

"I'm giving you 60 seconds, starting.. now." she announced loudly, turning away and closing her eyes.

I sped off in the opposite direction, not bothering to look behind me to see where everyone else would go. The night air slapped against my bare skin and I felt rather chilly despite the hot July month. I inwardly scolded myself for only wearing a dress that did not cover my arms. It was another distasteful decision I would come to regret later.

I picked my way through trees, my heart beating rapidly in my chest like a hammer against cloth. I could hear the rhythmic beats that vibrated throughout me and I sucked in the cool night air. It burnt against my throat and I winced enjoying the signs of feeling so alive.

I came to a stop in the middle of some crooked trees. Their branches reached out in all directions, coaxing near by birds to come and rest upon them. I was even half tempted to climb a tree myself, that would be if I wasn't trying so desperately hard to actually see where I was. I squinted, looking around, trying to encourage my eyes to adapt to the darkness just a little bit more. I couldn't see anything under the trees, they were blocking out every inch of moon light that previously spilled over the fields and granted us with a natural alternative instead of the yellow superficial tool the seeker was wielding at that very second. I made a decision to retrace my steps, knowing it would serve me better to be in a more familiar setting than one that was literally rendering me blind.

It was then that I realised that I did not keep track of where I was going.

I scolded myself, making sure to cuss myself out under my breath. To anyone else nearby I would have looked mad, muttering swears to myself but no one was around, so I was free to be as weird as I desired. I leaned against a tree and thought hard about what direction I ran in. Was it left or right? Did I run straight or..

I frowned annoyed. I did _not _want to get lost in the woods without a torch. I realised that maybe if I listened out I would be able to hear my friends shouting at having being found. I leaned against that tree for about five minutes and heard nothing but the rustle of leaves above me and the odd snap and crunch of a twig here and there. I put that down to wild life. It was the only sensible explanation. I decided the best thing to do would be to just head in a straight line back the way I came, and so I did just that.

Walking blindly through the trees - taking care to take big steps so as to avoid falling down I picked my way through stinging nettles and other distasteful plants that left big welts along my bare legs. My eyes stung with tears and I fought hard to keep them back. I was eighteen not _five_.

I could finally see a clearing in the trees which made hope spring up in my chest and I plucked up enough courage to allow myself a smile of victory. I walked out in to the clearing, welcoming the moonlight and my new found vision. Then I furrowed my eyebrows. This was _not _the field I had come from. The grass was all wrong here. Back in the field I had previously come from, the grass was fresh and green, it had also been trimmed and taken care of. This field had an array of different plants and corn strewn across the field and the grass was long and wild. I allowed my smile to fade as quickly as it had come. I rubbed my arms slightly trying to reassure myself. _To Hell if that worked._

It was then that I noticed something lying in the grass. A knee slightly propped up and one leg straight. I walked forward, hoping to God and sweet Jesus that it was one of my friends. The figure was tall with curly blonde hair and tanned hands could be seen under the mass of curls. I smiled instantly relieved.

"Josh?" I called out.

The figure remained motionless for quite a few seconds and just when I thought maybe it was a drunken tramp or he hadn't heard me - he sat up slowly, still facing the opposite direction. His shoulders were broad and slightly hunched over, that definitely wasn't the type of posture that Josh carried. Josh was lean and elegant, this guy clearly didn't care much for the effects that came with a bad stance. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and faded jeans. Frowning slightly I couldn't help recall that Josh had _not_ been wearing that but instead a red t-shirt and shorts. It was then that I realised that this person, man - _whoever_ he was, was not Josh.

I began to tremble, whether it was from the cold or fear settling awkwardly in my stomach I could not tell. I hoped however, that it was the first, as I knew I needed to be rational and keep my wits about me in a situation like this. I swallowed thickly and made my way over to the figure, hoping for the best that he was not a murderer, cannibal or rapist like my recent paranoia had hammered in to my head.

I carefully walked around the man, making sure to keep myself at a running distance in-case he tried anything funny. When I came to the front of him, I took in his physique noticing he was lanky but still held a good portion of muscle beneath his clothes. My eyes scanned his face quickly and I furtively crossed my arms in an attempt at shielding myself from the strange man below me. The first thing I noticed was the horrifying Chelsea grin that was carved in to his face. The scars looked puffy and unwelcome, and I flinched slightly at how poor the stitch up job must have been. The smile distastefully split each side of his face in a mocking imitation of what I couldn't help but notice, looked like a Cheshire cat.

His dark eyes looked up at me suspiciously. They looked a magnificent shade of umber in the moonlight and it was then that I noticed that I had been standing there for a while just staring at him. My cheeks flushed red and I allowed an apologetic expression to fleet over my face.

He still stared at me however, clearly having noticed my discomfort but choosing not to ease me of it. He sucked at the inside of one of his cheeks, making a slight sloshing sound and then rose to stand his full height which by the way, might I add, towered indecently over me.

"Now what's a girl like you.." he licked his lips and squinted at me. His voice was deep but held a slight pitch that could only be identified as somewhat nasally. "Doing out here _allllll _on your lonesome?"

I considered his question. What _was _I doing out here? Playing hide and seek? With friends? It suddenly didn't seem like reason enough to actually be out here all on my own.

"I was with some friends playing hide-and-seek, and then I got lost." I explained, my eyes wide, hoping this strange man would help me find my way back.

He stared at me. I could see a hint of amusement dancing far away in his dark eyes. I couldn't fathom why. I did not find the situation I was in remotely amusing.

"Oh? What a pre-dic-a-men_**t**_." he commented. I frowned slightly, impatiently tapping my foot waiting for him to offer me some sort of an escape route like a gentlemen should. He did not say anything though, and I suddenly noticed his eyes raking over my body a giggle emitting from between his lips.

My eyes narrowed and I rose an eyebrow.

_What the fuck?_

I looked downwards and saw how much my dress had ridden up from the struggle in the woods and the wind that had caught me when I was running. I quickly pulled it down subconsciously. However, it was then that I realised he wasn't remotely amused by my disheveled appearance but rather the small grazes, cuts and welts that laced my legs. I suddenly started to feel desperation course through my veins. I knew I needed out. Now.

"So can you help me find my way out?" I asked hopefully.

His tongue prodded at the inside of his cheek and he sucked in a breath, and then exhaled slowly. His eyes glanced up at the sky quickly and then came down to rest on me once again. His mouth turned up in a smile and he made a small sound of disapproval, tutting away like I had asked him a ridiculously naughty question.

"Now, uh.. why would I go and do a thing like tha-_**t**_?"

* * *

**A/N: **_Okay, so this is a bit of a strange setting for a Joker fanfiction to take place but I decided to be a bit spontaneous.  
I accept any criticisms and_ _the alike. Reviews are always appreciated._

_Just a general note, this is clearly Pre-Joker - meaning that Jack is not yet the Joker_

_and therefore his psychopathic tendencies are shown__ in other ways. It is unavoidable that Jack will someday become the Joker due to his insanity, but one cannot help but wonder what insane acts he committed before all of that._

_* I am in fact a Londoner and therefore British terms will be used instead of American ones Eg. Torch instead of flash-light. I hope you can live with that._


	2. Chapter 2

"Now, uh.. why would I go and do a thing like tha-_**t**_?"

I blinked once, twice.. three times. I didn't think I heard him correctly at first and so I chose to just stare at him and allow his words to sink in. If my understanding of the words that left his mouth was correct, which I'm sure it was, then that would mean he was _not _going to help me. And what's more is that he may become an obstacle in my search for an escape. My brain absorbed it all finally, and a shudder of fear ran through me. I could feel myself slipping further and further in to an inescapable problem with no solution. I should have resigned myself to failure at that moment.

"Beg your pardon?" I asked. I needed him to repeat himself, needed to know that either my hearing was becoming dysfunctional, or that he was joking.

He stared down at me, a smirk slowly creeping its way up his disfigured mouth. I couldn't fathom why this man thought it was funny to scare a young woman like this, so I frowned and balled my hands in to tiny fists. I desperately wanted to punch him in his face, not that it would do me much good. But his sheer arrogance and ignorance to my problem made me furious. My involuntary movement did not go unnoticed by him, his dark eyes drew down to rest upon my fists and then he tilted his head to the side, regarding them.

I felt self-conscience and defeated, so slowly I began to unclench my fists leaving them to dangle pathetically at my sides. His eyes rose up to meet mine once again, and he took a step forward assessing my expression to his latest words, trying to get a clearer look at my reaction. Which by the way, might I add, seemed to amuse him greatly.

He began to rock back and forth on the balls of his feet, sucking at the inside of his cheeks again. That noise pierced through the tension that was thick in the air around us. It was absolutely dreadful, even an idiot would have been able to sense the mocking gesture emitted through all his physical actions. He was setting my teeth on edge and not many things did that. I exhaled a deep breath trying to calm myself. That did not stop my heart racing however and I felt the sudden urge to bend over and throw up all over Mr. Freak's mud caked boots.

"You're looking a little uh.. _pale _over there." he commented.

I tucked a stray piece of black hair back that was dangling beside my ear. It was a nervous habit really, but it did nothing to ease the feelings of dread that washed through my over and over again. Hopefully he wouldn't have been able to see that though. What I said next however, gave away the extent of anxiety that was surging throughout me. I was a symbol of the effect this man could have on other humans, and I regrettably noted how no one should have to feel the way I do in any situation.

"I just.. I just want to go home." I replied weakly.

"_Home_?" he asked incredulously. "But I don't _wan-__**t**_ you to leave yet. No. I. do. no-_**t**_."

That was it. That was the last straw. My fight of flight instincts finally kicked in and I could no longer resist them. As soon as the words left his mouth my blood turned to ice and I felt my stomach turn in on itself. Letting out a small whimper I made to turn and get the fuck out of there. Those were the kind of things you hard in movies, the things murderers say before they kill their victims and I did not want to be one of those people. I simply refused.

I got a couple of steps away. Only a couple before I felt a large hand wrap around my arm and pull me backwards. I let out a yelp of pain and indignation and screamed, coming face to face with _him. _I could feel his dark orbs glaring down at me angrily, I could feel the menace and malevolent intentions that man held radiating from his body.

"Please." I sobbed. I was crying now, frightened by him, embarrassed by my weakness and betrayal of my body. I couldn't stay calm and collected like originally planned. It was all too much for me. Even he looked disgusted. His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth in annoyance, his grip on my arm tightening.

"Don_**-t**_ _cry_." he seethed. All traces of amusement had left his face, I could see pure rage lacing his dark irises, protruding from his voice which had turned deeper and more husky. He terrified me and his command had only served in upsetting me more.

"I _told_ you, to stop cryin-_**g**_." he repeated impatiently. I could feel the warning in his tone. His left hand quickly dug in to the pocket of his faded jeans and as if to show me just how serious he was, he flicked open a switch blade bringing it to my face.

The glint of the blade stopped the waterworks immediately. My fear froze in my heart and I focused on the assailant and his knife before me. He rolled his eyes like my reaction was horribly predictable and he allowed his smirk to return.

"There we are." he praised, giving me a few mock pat on the backs which earned a few winces and a sharp intake of breath from me. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

His eyes weren't as considerably dark anymore. I was starting to recognize the characteristics that accompanied his mood. I refused to allow the withdrawal of anger to coax me in to feeling safe, I would not be fooled by his attempts at lulling me in to a circle of comfort, protection and false security. This man meant business, he was clearly a bit loopy, if you get what I mean.

I read about people like him in the news every day. Murderers, creeps, _freaks_. The one's that kidnapped little girls and held them at ransom, only for Gotham's finest to come fleetingly to their rescue for a chance to appear as their saviour in the headlines for a week. People would do anything for a bit of public attention, and the media just loved to deliver.

I hated all of that.

I sniffed pathetically. Wiping at my eyes.

"I don't have any money." I told him. He faltered for a moment, his grin dropping slightly and a look of disappointment plastered his features. "My family.. they're not rich. You can't use me as your bargaining chip." I continued.

His jaw stiffened and his eyes locked with mine. He looked serious for once. Very serious.

"I don't want uh.. _money._" he stated simply. He seemed agitated and annoyed by my recent comment, and I wonder if I had somehow offended him by my words.

"What do you want then?" I asked, hoping in desperation that whatever it was, it was something I could offer him without too much of a price.

"Well doll face, I _uh_, want to play Hide and Seek too." he replied, his grin returning in an almost child-like fashion. Almost.

I stared at him, bewildered. Was he mentally impaired?

Could he not tell that I no longer gave a hoot about playing some dumb game, let alone with him. Why, he looked like he was in his early twenties, way too old to be playing some kid's game with a bunch of eighteen year olds. And what was more was I no longer knew where I was, so how could we possibly play Hide and Seek with anyone but the two of us. Unless he could magic us to the whereabouts of my friends. This was insane. _He _was insane.

"The game ended a long time ago." I stated bluntly.

"Oh, no, no, _no. _You see suga-_**r**_, the real game hasn't even began and I bet you're just _dying _to get started."

I frowned at his choice of words. Hoping this was all just a façade, maybe, even if I were lucky a sick joke played on me by my friends. That they knew this man, and he was just trying to scare me for a laugh.

I tried to feign relief, to trick my mind in to thinking that this was a game but my heart knew better and my soul yearned for safety that felt so far away and unreachable. Across the vast meadows and fields, out rooted to the sky stood the crumbling nine floor apartment that my family resided in. Nice, warm and comfortable in their beds not giving a second thought as to my where about. I was supposed to be at a friend's house dreaming of the normality; but instead here I was, in a dark field imprisoned by trees and desperately fighting with a man who knew how to rock a mind so effectively it fell under the unescapable torture of unrelenting panic.

I allowed a painful pause to pass between us. I wanted to prolong his plans. _If_ he had plans.  
I decided to placate him, humor him and try to ease the tension that was running high between us. It was leaving him restless, I could tell, he seemed almost anxious but I knew that he was desperately eager to get things underway. I could not for a second believe how unhinged this guy was and I knew that he was subliminally suggesting that there was more than one game to be played. He did not want to play Hide and Seek, he wanted to see how long I could amuse him before he grew bored. He wanted to play a deadly game of cat and mouse. Which I was sure would regrettably end in my demise.

* * *

Johnny bounded through the trees. It had been ages and yet he had still not been found. He could honestly say this was one of the longest games of Hide and Seek he had ever played. Which he possibly owed to his surroundings and the time of day, or rather night that had been chosen to host the game. He had paid special attention to where everyone had hastened off to. No one person had ran in the same direction which would sure as Hell give Anna a difficult task in finding them. Not that he really cared all that much, he had other _plans._

Johnny had initially thought his best bet would be to climb a tree but in all honesty, he was a massive wimp when it came to dealing with bugs or arachnids in any shape or form. You could owe this to a traumatic event that happened to him when he was younger involving himself and a spider. Let's just say the spider ended up in his mouth and he refused to stop brushing his teeth for days on end until his gums bled and his mother had to have a _talk_ with him. He fucking hated spiders.

But anyway, he had been hiding out in the same spot for almost up to an hour and he wanted desperately to find Jane, the girl that he had been strongly infatuated with for the better part of the year.

He had admittedly been following her throughout the woods, trailing her and backtracking when she did. He couldn't help but stare at her lean legs and watch her dress rise up every now and then exposing to the soft looking flesh of her thighs. He wanted her in more ways than one and that's why he followed her anticipating when she would wander so far in to the woods no one would be able to hear her. It was then that he had planned what he would do, he would approach her and tell her how he felt and she would tell him that the feelings were mutual and if she didn't.. well... there were other ways he would make her agree.

But anyway, he had lost her at a specific time when he was going to approach her. He initially thought that she had heard him and sped off but later realised due to her unintelligible mumblings - that she herself had learned she was lost and then in an attempt to regain her bearings, she sped off in near but _opposite_direction. He wondered what possessed her to do that and if she had forgotten about what way she came. It was then that he had lost her, she was too fast for him, and he cursed angrily after fifteen minutes of searching with no results.

* * *

"What's your name?" I blurted out. I had already decided to humor and distract him, but I couldn't help the curiosity bubbling it's way and taking ahold of my vocal chords. He had decidedly looked thrilled by my question and let out a small giggle, staring at me knowingly.

"It's uh, Jac_**-k.**_" he answered. Watching my expression, seemingly waiting for me to test out his name on my tongue. I did not however. I did not want to utter his horrid name, so instead I remained quiet, nodding.

"You're cold." he pointed out, nonchalantly. I looked down, noticing the goosebumps that had formed on my skin long since arriving here. I subconsciously rubbed at my bare arms, trying to work some warmth in to them. This made him smirk.

"You know what would, _reaaaally_ warm you _**up**_?" he asked. "A little exercise."

I frowned, not understanding him at all.

"What?" I asked, blinking furiously.

"Running gets the heart pumping like nothing else." he explained "Running is a great form of exercise, well that is, other than... _sex_ of course." with that he threw his head back cackling manically, his blonde hair flying in all directions.

I frowned at him disgusted and appalled. It was now that I understood the expression "caught like a deer in the headlights" because that's exactly how I felt.

"I just _loooove_ a little exercise." he said after he had ceased his fit of laughter and wiped away the fake tears that gathered along side his eyes. "And what's a better way to exercise other than through a game?"

I stared at him horrified.

_Fuck we're back at this again?_

I knew what he was suggesting and I felt a pang of disappointment course through me. I couldn't believe I had honestly thought for a second that I had distracted him from his real intentions.

"I want to be the seeker." he suddenly announced. "and _you. _You get to hide."

He said it in a way that made it seem as if he half expected me to reply saying _"Really!? Thanks!"_  
Immediately I could feel hope fluttering away in my chest as the realization of it all sunk in. Hiding would ensure that there was a chance of getting away. Of getting out of the woods and possibly finding my friends. It was inevitable that I wouldn't be able to find or warn everyone that there was a threat lurking in the woods, but if I managed to escape I could tell the police there was a freak that was hunting down my friends one by one with all deliberate speed. At this point, it no longer mattered how much trouble I would get in. I just bathed in the glory of being given a chance. I refused to fuck up.

"You want me to... hide?" I asked, deliberately sounding slow and stupid.

His grin widened even more accentuating the scars on his face horribly. "I do believe that's the idea of hide and seek, _doll face_."

"Okay.." I replied, trying not to sound too eager incase he called the whole thing off and carved me up in to tiny pieces with his shiny little friend.

"That's a girl." he said loudly, patting my back in a patronizing manner. "You get two minutes. Starting. Right. **_Now_**."

* * *

_A/N: Sorry if there are any grammatical errors. I wrote this in one sitting__._

Also, Zeny thanks for the review and yes, I am watching the Olympics very intently. I honestly thought London were going to mess up big time in the opening ceremony but it was pretty good in my opinion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning:**

_This chapter and the following chapters will contain a significant amount of gore that may make you cringe. If you are sensitive to topics of murder or the alike, I suggest you do not carry on reading this fanfiction. My aim is to portray Pre-Joker EXACTLY as I believe he would be in real life. So you have been warned. Regardless of that, I hope you enjoy._

* * *

Anna felt the sickening rise of uneasiness burn its way to her esophagus. She shut her mouth abruptly and swallowed down oxygen in hope she would not throw up. She had been seeking for precisely two hours now, which she thought - was absolutely ridiculous. She felt her nerves gnawing away at her innards.

Something was wrong.

She wasn't lost. No. She had stayed in the area on purpose, not wanting to wander off too far in to the darkness. Only idiots did that, and she was not an idiot. Surveying the outskirts of the woods definitely wasn't an easy task and she could feel the strain on her muscles. She was going to wake up feeling very sore tomorrow.

The problem was, that the game had clearly gone on for long enough now and she simply wasn't enjoying it. Either everyone was playing a practical joke on her (which certainly was not amusing) or everyone had wondered off too far. This led her to call out each one of their names except she received a deadpan of silence which was far too eerie for her liking.

Picking up momentum and pace she decided she would venture in to the woods. To Hell with it. She had certainly exceeded her limit ages ago. If she could not find anyone, she would leave. Simple as. She then wondered if they had left which made her look as if she saw a sitting duck with a flash-light.

Gazing wearily at the entrance to the woods, she began to make her way in feeling a dread wash over her that she could not seem to pinpoint and it was then, that she wished she never left her spot.

* * *

Johnny marched his way through the woods, muttering loudly about obscenities that no one would care about in the normal world. Jane was a bitch, that was what he had concluded. He couldn't help but delude himself in to thinking that she would come to see him, try to find him. _Want _to find him. He shook his head annoyed.

What the fuck was her problem? Had she found Josh or something?

The slut.

He gritted his teeth at the mere thought of her spending time with another male that wasn't him. Josh knew she was his. He made sure he knew when he broke his nose during the summer. Josh didn't dare throw another glance her way after that.

But anyway, Jane wasn't really a slut. No. Most reassuringly, she was not. That's why he liked her, she was deliciously modest.. naive even. Unlike all those other wenches that crawled in to his bed for a nights lay. He always imagined those girls were _her._

He would find her. He just needed to be calm about it. Making his way in the direction he thought she went, he patiently sauntered through the woods. Paying special attention to the sounds that wavered over the tree-tops.

* * *

Anna stealthily scouted the woods, her flashlight bright and obvious. She was determined to find someone, she had to. Stepping gingerly over a thicket and maneuvering herself around a rose thorn bush she began Plan B.

"Hellooooo?" she called out, flashing her torch on random objects.

She stepped over a stray tree root, making sure not to trip.

This was the stupidest idea of the century. Who would want to play Hide and Seek in the woods anyway. No ground rules were even laid down. Anna wanted to desperately return home, to snuggle under her covers and flick through the many channels she had access to. Maybe even IM a couple of cute boys on Facebook.

Satisfied by her little day dream she felt even more determined to return home.

"Josh... Jane... _anyone_?" she shouted.

No response.

She tried again. "Josh? Jane?" she shouted louder this time.

Scowling she let out a frustrated sigh of annoyance, and then came a reply.

"How about Jac-**_k_**, girly?"

* * *

I was exhausted. I was fairly sure I had lost him. I remained planted firmly up against a tree surveying my surroundings. Quietly I blended in with some stray bushes and leaves that concealed me quite well in the dark. I couldn't risk being found, not now. My heart thumped painfully away in my chest. It was a miracle I hadn't died from heart failure yet. It was then that I heard a odd mutter of unintelligible curses. Terrified Jack had found me, I curled myself in to a tiny ball hoping he'd walk right on by.

The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs could be heard close by. I sucked in a breath horrified to see someone approaching. The darkness veiled the figures face but it was quite plainly a male by the stature of their lean body.

_Please don't see me, please don't see me._

I kept my eyes peeled, washing discreetly as a tall lanky figure walked by. It was then that I realised that it was not Jack. Hope welled up in my chest and slowly and cautiously emerging from my hiding place, I stood there staring after him, dumb founded.

"_Johnny_?"

* * *

Anna was shaken. That much was apparent. Jack's eyes bored ferociously in to hers, he was intimidating her first. He just loved how scared she was, she was even more afraid than Jane was and that was simply delectable. He'd remember this for a _very _long time.

Oh yes he would.

Advancing forward he took note of how her skin which was formerly a healthy shade of vanilla, had now turned a sickly grey colour. That was just pure proof of his influence on her. Her voice had failed her ages ago, which he was slightly disappointed at. He _wanted_ to hear her beg, but all he received was short bursts of breath that barely sustained her consciousness and a rasp of fear ripped from her lungs every now and then. It was beautiful really, but he craved for more than that. He wanted to see her blood splattered against the trees, her scream of agony and affliction tear through the silence of the night. He wanted to see her convulsing on the floor, _begging _him to end her suffering.

But most of all, he wanted to introduce his knife to her. He wanted to see it slice cleanly through her body until he grazed bone. Only then, would he be satisfied with his work.

"What's your name, hm?" Jack asked. He was mocking her, he wanted her to think that she mattered. Not that he actually cared, not even a fraction for what her name was.

Dead meat didn't have a name after-all.

She shook her hide vigorously from side to side. Staring at him wide eye'd, tears running indignantly down her cheeks.

He giggled in excitement. He hated it when they cried, but he wouldn't that spoil his excitement. No. Not now.

"I'll tell you mine, if you tell me _yours_." he whispered, leaning forward.

He was in front of her now, his nose mere inches away from her own. His hands rested on the rough bark of the willow tree that stood behind her. He could see the terror in her eyes, soft pools of blue despair and he bit his lip in anticipation.

"A-Anna" she stammered, her voice barely audible over the wind ahead. Jack grinned at her happily, worrying at his scars. She didn't dare avert her eyes to to the disfigured mess on his face in fear that it would somehow give him enough time or reason to hurt her.

"Well _A-Anna_. My name is Jac-_**k.**_"

She nodded slightly, her lips trembling. Aware that he was mocking her and feeling the heat rush to her face at the realization of how pathetic she seemed in front of him.

"That's a nice flash-light you've got there, _Anna." _Jack commented, his eyes downcast to the bright light that was shaking in her hands. She gripped it with both her hands subconsciously like a sword, like it could serve in putting some distance between them both. The heat from the bulbs served as no form of comfort, the warmth did not ease the tension or the fear that clung to her and he knew this. He pointedly mentioned the flash-light to help her distinguish that she had absolutely no form of protection.

Not when he was around anyway.

"Please mister." she whispered, her voice cracking from the effort of keeping calm. She was trying not to spiral in to the whirlwind of hysteria she so desperately wanted to succumb herself to. "I need to leave."

"Oh, no, no, no,_ nooo_." Jack chided, his grin widening. "You're not going anywhere."

Anna couldn't help it, she could feel herself going in to an absolute frenzy.

"You don't understand, I need to leave, my friends, they're -"

"No, Anna. I don't think _you _quite understan-_**d** _the _severity _of the situation." he growled. He was growing impatient now, he wanted to deal with her. He had other fish to gut,_ literally_.

"Please." she began to sob again. "I know you probably want to hurt me, but I a-assure you that you'll regret it."

She needed to try a different approach. Playing the helpless victim wasn't going to get her anywhere, perhaps she could reason with him. Show him the affliction and anguish his actions could stir. He was human after-all, every human had some compassion _somewhere_ in them. It was then that Anna remembered the serial killer Richard Ramirez. Didn't he say in one of his ghastly interviews that the assailant sometimes developed a bond with their victim, sometimes felt a bit _sorry _for them even?

"Hm, regre-**_t_**?" he averted his gaze to the sky, contemplating, considering, thinking it over. He prodded at the lacerations that laced the inside of his mouth and Anna felt hope well up in her chest. She felt pride at having made such a smart point. He scraped his fingernails against the bark of the tree causing a rough scratching sound to emit from around her. Her nerves were already raw, and the sound nearly caused her to lose sight of her goal. His gaze wondered back down to her. "You _knoooow_.. I don't think I've felt a day of regre_**-t **_in my life."

She stared at him appalled. Her horrified expression terribly evident on her face.

He grinned down at her sardonically.

Her breathing was now labored, she was out of options. Nothing was clearly going to sway him of his intentions and so she decided to resort to Plan C, if he would willingly dish out violence, then so would she.

* * *

Anna braced herself. She knew where a man's weakest points were and that's all he was at the end of the day. Nothing more than a man.

He was within striking distance and that's when she decided if she didn't do it now, then she never would. Drawing back her knee with agile stealth, she brought it up with determined force and allowed a smirk to pass over her features when she felt it connect with her target. A harsh woosh of air burst from Jack's lungs and he rushed down to meet the gritty floor, gripping his _now _very sore groin.

He lay there for a couple of moments, writhing on the floor and groaning in agony.

"You fucking, _bitch_." he gasped. His breathing was ragged, and she could feel the pain laced in his voice.

Anna stared down at him, a smile of victory plastering her features and then she heard something. At first she thought he was crying, soft sobs racking his body but upon closer inspection she realised he was _laughing_. High-pitched insane laughter. It was so loud and abnormal that it shook the woods, growing more and more distinct as every second passed.

She felt a strange feeling grip her at that moment. Whether it was from the realization of where and who she was with or the acceptance that she was not in dream but rather reality. She felt an absolute feeling of dread and paralyzing terror grip her limbs, and she knew that if she didn't run now she would never have a chance of survival.

"You ah... certainly know how to_ play_."

Jack was up now, slightly hunched over but his features were stoic, and the only emotion Anna could detect was the amusement that was still evident on his face. He was brushed himself down, wiping away the dry dirt that had clung to his shirt.

"_Butttttt_, un-for-tun-_**ate****ly** _for _you..."_

He began to advance towards Anna, his blonde curls blowing around him. He looked like a lion, callously sauntering towards his prey.

"..I can play _a lo-**t **_better."

* * *

Grabbing the flash-light out of her hand with such ferocious proximity, he drew it back and smashed the steal weight against her head, _once, twice, three times._ The sickening crunch of fractured skull could be heard, and she stumbled backwards dazed, warm blood already flowing down her face stinging her eyes and momentarily rendering her blind.

She reached out stupidly for something to grip on to, only to be pulled back and smashed in to the tree opposite her, her already damaged head cracking harshly off of the rough bark. Unaware that she was under attack due to the shock and paralysis her body had used to shell her from the events, she tried to reach out to her attacker for some sort of reassurance.

Jack whooped with glee, making quick work of her. As said before, he had a more_ important _person to deal with.

Steadying her, he allowed his eyes to graze over her now disfigured head. Her face was a ghastly white colour.

"My, my, Anna. You look like _death_." he giggled.

She gurgled an unintelligable response. Unable to make eye contact and her eyes glazed over with a far away look. Her eyes began to close and she slumped over, no doubt from the mass amount of blood loss.

"Now, now, didn't you ever hear that it's _rude_ to leave the part-_**y **_early?" he scolded. A looking of mock disapproval plastering his features.

He slapped her face, not so softly either and she opened her eyes groggily, the shock fleeting away.

It was then that she realised what had happened, she saw her blood staining his shirt, felt the excruciating throbbing pain pounding away in her skull. She was broken and she knew it. She stared up at him wide eye'd at the realization of what he had done to her and let a horrifying scream rip from her lungs.

"Oh, I know, you're just having _so_ much fun!" he told her. "But, uh, I'm going to have to end this little blowou**-t **a bit sooner than expected."

Jack stared down at her, amazed at how much blood he had been able to spill with a mere flashlight. The red life was still gushing out of her forehead masking the old caked blood. The metallic smell was beautiful, but he had other kiddies to attend to and so, it was time to end this petty charade.

"Wanna know how I got these scars?" he asked. His dark eyes glinting menacingly in the moonlight. She didn't reply, just gazed up at him wearily, feeling the weakness and fatigue taking over her senses.

"Well, when I was a little kid I had this twin brother you see." He patted her face to make sure she was still paying attention, and she was, regardless of her life hanging on a string, she was still strongly entranced in his story. He smirked.

"We were _reaaaaal_ close, practically bes**_-t_** friends. You'd know all about bes-_**t**_ friends wouldn't you, _Anna_?"

She didn't respond. She felt no need to respond, it wasn't a question that needed an answer.

"Well, anyway_, _we had a real obsession with clowns.. we_ looooved_ them. Used to watch a show called Clown Business every morning before school. It got to a point where our fixation became.. _untameable._" His voice began to grow significantly darker, but Anna didn't dare tear her eyes away. She continued to watch him.

"So, one morning my brother and I decided we wanted to be clowns. He wanted to be this clown called Giggles and I wanted to be like _Bozo_. Our parents never let us dress up as clowns, they forbid it, thought they looked evil, real religious fol**_-k_**you see."

Anna knew that feeling. Her parents were also overbearingly religious. She gurgled in response, showing her understanding to his past issues. She was becoming delirious and deluded and truth be told, although she should have felt horrified she was uncharacteristically enticed.

"So my brother and I decided we wanted to look like a pair of clowns. A disguise our parents couldn't remove, something permanent, something like _scars_." he moved his face from side to side, to show Anna an example of what he was suggesting.

"_Soooooooo,_we grabbed one of mummy's kitchen knives, the big ones she used to carve up meat. And my little brother - taking my face in his hands began to carve a permanent clown smile in to my eight year old face." He prodded at his lacerations and allowed a grin to break out on his disfigured face.

_"Theeeeen,_ I did the same to my brother. Except his didn't go quite as planned. No. It. Did. Not. My hand was slippy from all the blood you see and I carved his face a_ litttttle _too far. He ended up bleeding to death." He feigned a sigh, his eyes darting upwards and then coming back to rest once again on Anna.

"My parents were distraught. They ended up going a little bit _craaazy_, gave me up to an orphanage. I never got real treatment on my scars."

"I mean, who could blame them, they thought I was a _monster _after all." Jack whispered.

Anna stared at him, unsure as to how to process that. If she was in her right state, she may have felt sympathy for him.

"Do you think I'm a monster, _Anna_?" Jack breathed, looking down at her.

She stared at him. She didn't want him to cause her anymore pain, so she decided to go with the safer response. She shook her head no.

"_No_?" he giggled. "Wrong answer."

Grabbing the flash light once more, he brought it down on her head with a final bone splintering crunch. Then her world went black.

* * *

**A/N:** _I would just like to thank everyone who has given my reviews and favourited/followed my story.  
_

_I tried to keep Jack's violent tendencies a bit on the low side for now, so it will get much more gorier from here with each death. I always want everyone to know that Jane is pretty much our main character who is written in first person but I will be focusing on other characters in the next chapters as Jack picks his way through them._

I referenced the murderer Richard Ramirez, I hope that doesn't touch any nerves with anyone. He's a real guy who murdered and raped a lot of people. Look him up if you're interested.

Zeny; I'm pretty much watching what ever sport I see on T.V. Went past the olympic park yesterday and it was packed full of army people. I think everyone is doing really well in the Olympics. Hurrah! :D

_* Changed torch to flash-light since the Joker speaks American-English. : )_

**_- Aggressive-Expansion_**


	4. Chapter 4

Johnny held a crazed look in his eye, a glint of events were playing out perfectly in his head. I had stopped him twice to ask if he was okay, he was bothering me, I didn't like that look. I had seen it in Jack's eyes and it called for me to re-consider my latest choices.

Did I know Johnny well enough to put my trust in him? I wasn't sure. I knew of him, about him, and had hung with him more times than I could count but did I really_ know _him.

In retrospect, I had no reason to doubt him. He had never done anything bad to me, and nothing bad to anyone else as far I knew. He was handsome, picturesque, his features strikingly charming but that was that. Beneath his opaque exterior, I knew no more. Plus, you should never judge a book by its cover. Although it was usually the handsome looking guys that had the darkest thoughts, right?

He had pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it tentatively as we walked. He dangled it in front of him and exhaled a grey puff of smoke in to the wind, sighing in relief as the nicotine surged throughout his body. _Terrible habit if you ask me._

Want to two's me?" he asked, smirking.

"I'd rather not." I replied, distastefully eying the cancer stick in front of me.

"Awh, why not?" he asked. "It's a great stress relief, plus it looks cool."

"I'm not dim witted enough to give in to peer pressure, Johnny." I replied curtly.

His muttered something under his breath, his eyes glinting. I frowned slightly annoyed. I may have misheard him but I could have swore I heard him call me a prude. I certainly wasn't a prude, I just wasn't a cheap skank or whore either.

Disregarding his comment I decidedly filled him in on the whole Jack business alarmingly quickly and he stared at me like I was mad all the while. It was agitating but understandable, I mean the whole course of events tonight was pretty ludicrous and sounded like some dramatically horrific storyline for a thriller you'd watch at home. I think he almost wanted to laugh at me at once point but he withheld it admirably. So in recognition, I rewarded him by restraining myself from shouting in his face. He ultimately suggested we make a beeline out of here, and I couldn't have agreed with him more.

* * *

Josh laid back against an evergreen thicket, stroking the back of Sam's head. Sam gingerly left a trail of feathery kisses on Josh's neck and he sighed in pleasure.

"This is nice." Josh commented. "I mean, you and I.. we can just be open here. No hiding."

Sam looked up in to Josh's green eyes, welcoming the warmth the optical connection provided. His heart beat erratically beneath his chest. He couldn't get enough of the close proximity they shared during moments like these.

"I don't want to hide anymore Joshy. Why can't we just tell everyone?" Sam whined, tracing circles on Josh's abdomen. Josh liked that and he couldn't hide the satisfaction on his face, albeit the direction the conversation had turned.

"Because Sam" Josh started, frowning and lowering his voice as if speaking to a child. "No one would accept us. You think people would let it go? They'd call us all sorts of things."

"Why should we care what they think? Sam reasoned, sitting up slightly. He was disappointed. He had hoped, that this - being out here, gazing at the stars and feeling the fresh air on their bare chests would have changed his mind. If only a little.

Josh exhaled, clearly annoyed. "They're my friends - I... I just... I can't okay?"

"_Our _friends, Josh. I mean, fuck, it's the 21st century, why the Hell not?" Sam asked, his eyes flashing brilliantly at the idea.

He often day dreamed about being able to present Josh as his boyfriend. He certainly wasn't ashamed of telling people his sexual orientation, it's who he was after all - and Josh shouldn't be ashamed either. However, he seemed to have built up a wall around him, refusing to let anyone know the _real_ him.

"I.. what would Johnny say?" Josh whispered, his eyes downcast.

"Oh Johnny this, and Johnny that. You'd think that _he _was your boyfriend, not me." Sam retorted agitated.

He really fucking hated it when he brought Johnny in to this. Johnny didn't like the either of them anyway. Plus he has no regard for women or men and he had a horrible personality.

Josh didn't say anything, instead he let out a sigh that drew Sam's attention to his discomfort.

"Look, I know you like.. love him or something, I'm not stupid, but forget about him because you have me and I love you way more than he ever could." Sam reasoned, kissing Josh lightly on the side of his mouth. " Plus, Johnny's been nothing but a total dick to you. Remember that time he punched you in the-"

"That's enough Sam." Josh said sternly, silencing him at once. He did not wish to recover such awful memories.

"Well like I said. He's no good and you can trust me on _that_."

"Look Sam, I just want to keep our relationship quiet. Plenty of straight couples do it so as to avoid confrontation. If I knew it was going to be a such a big deal to you then-"

"Then what?" Sam asked angrily. "You'd never have gotten involved with me? Yeah, you can be a real ass sometimes you know that."

"Oh don't have a bitch fit Sam. Those are one of the things I turned gay in order to avoid. You sound like a girl."

Sam glowered at Josh in the darkness but said nothing more. He would resume this argument at another time and plus, you don't just _turn _gay. It's not a choice.

* * *

"Johnny, do you really know the way out?" I asked, slightly unbelieving. We had been walking for quite a while now and I was growing scared because of Johnny's unintelligible mutters. Every so often he would turn around, glare at me and a creepy smile would break out on his face and then he would resume his attention to the journey ahead.

Johnny nodded, but offered no further reassuring words. He hadn't been very talkative at all, and of course I couldn't blame him. Perhaps he was just as anxious as I was to leave this place without attracting any unnecessary attention to our whereabouts.

Then again, he had smoked over a dozen cigarettes already and if conversation wasn't going to draw Jack here, then smoke surely would. It had taken five attempts at telling him to quit smoking until he finally relented. He clearly didn't like being told what to do.

It was when I was paying more attention to my thoughts and less attention to where I was walking that I tripped over a rather large tree root. Dropping to the floor and tears brimming in my eyes I sniffed and assessed the damage to my knee which had collided quite painfully with the hard ground. I had cursed softly when I saw blood welling him from a small cut, but that's all it was and nothing more. I didn't want to seem like a baby or anything but I hardly had any control over my emotions and plus, it's not like I had any decent control to begin with.

Johnny scowled and made his way towards me, roughly pulling me up by my arm. I yelped in pain and winced when he threw me a furious look. Like it was my fault that I had fallen down. _The nerve._

"Would you watch where you're going." he seethed.

"It's hardly my fault that's it's so dark." I retorted.

He just grunted in response. Up until today I had never realised how quite obnoxious and rude he was. If I got out of this alive I'd be sure to tell him to go and get a personality check.

* * *

"Here, take this." Josh said offering his hand out.

"What's that?" Sam asked quietly, annalysing the small red pill that sat on the palm of Josh's hand.

"It's called CLEAR. It'll loosen you up a bit. Trust me, take it." Josh encouraged.

"Well okay.. but only if you take one too."

"Oh I plan on it, Sammy boy." Josh smirked swallowing the pill in one gulp.

* * *

"Johnny.. how much further." I asked.

"Actually.. we're here now." he said, his back still facing me. I could hear the excitement that laced his voice.

I looked around but frowned when I realised that we were just in a deeper and darker part of the woods.

"Johnny.. I don't think we're -"

"Jane" Johnny said, whirling around and smirking. "Do you know how long I've waited for this?"

I blinked twice and then frowned, I could sense something was extremely off.

"Waited for what?"

"You." he whispered smiling. "I've been waiting to get you alone for a very long time now."

"What?" I asked incredulously. I took a step back, trying to maintain some distance between us both. I could feel that horrible gut wrenching pain in my stomach before that was telling me something was extremely wrong.

"I've wanted you for so long now." he told me, sauntering forward. "I won't wait any longer."

"Johnny please, we _need _to get out." I reasoned frantically, my eyes darting about the darkness. "Stop wasting time."

I was paranoid, that much was certain. Not about Johnny, not at this moment, but about _him. _I felt that Jack was this almighty deity, that he was all seeing and all hearing and of course, omnipresent. I felt like he was watching us regarding the situation and gripping on to the fear that surrounded me, breathing it in vigorously. I felt like all my secrets were laid out bare in front of him, he could see the effect different things had on me. It was a truly horrifying feeling.

"What I _need_ Jane - is you." he replied darkly. "And I _will _have you."

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for lack of updating, I've been incredibly busy with my social life lately but I've decided to tone it down a bit because it's taking up too much of my time and sleep and of course, writing. I should be able to update once a week now though. Also stuff has been really hectic, you know, boys and relationship issues and I'm sure you'll all understand, aha._

_I will update soon, hope you enjoyed! Bit of a shameless filler if anything, but it's still important regardless for character development._


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